By Reina Hasting
As I see the leaves turning yellow, I know change is coming. Change in the amount of light we get, change in what local produce we can access, change in our travel time, change in the clothes we wear — I can go on and on. One thing we can count on in life is change, and sometimes, the only control over it is how we react.
Everything we see, hear, breathe, eat, touch and think affects our health, both physical and mental, in one way or another. How do we control all that? It seems nearly impossible. Some things we can control and others we cannot. We can control ourselves, right? Can it be that simple? It depends.
It can be easy to identify someone who has physical limitations. For example, if someone is in an accident and breaks a bone in their leg, we understand why they are wearing a cast. We know they need assistance. Many places have accessible parking spots, ramps, automatic doors, and elevators. We don’t expect a person who is physically disabled to jump up to do things we can see they cannot do. The same can be said for someone with major depression or addiction, but how do we identify someone who is struggling with mental health?
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make healthy choices.”
Many people have stressors in life that impact their mental health that others would not know about. It could be economic hardship, lack of transportation, housing instability, caretaking responsibilities, addiction or even a recent loss. Each person has their own ability to deal with life’s stressors and regulate their emotions during times of stress. When someone is struggling with their mental health, it can be hard for them to regulate their emotions, causing them to have less control over how they react to change or day-to-day life events. Sometimes, we have to be OK with not knowing why someone reacted a certain way, and just be the calm that meets their storm.
We all face mental health challenges. Each is as unique as each one of us. When we neglect our physical health, we can develop a physical illness. The same goes for our mental health. If we have increased mental health challenges impacting our daily life such as depression, self-regulation and/or addiction, and do not get the help we need, it can develop into a mental illness too. Just like with health challenges, we may need professional treatment.
Mental illnesses are among the most common health conditions in the United States.
• More than 1 in 5 adults in the United States live with a mental illness.
• Over 1 in 5 youth (ages 13-18) either currently or at some point during their life, have had a seriously debilitating mental illness.
• About 1 in 25 U.S. adults lives with a serious mental illness, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or major depression.
I lost a family member to a mental illness and learned I am not alone in experiencing a loss like that. It’s far more common than we think. Suicide is an urgent and growing public health crisis. More than 49,000 people in the United States died by suicide in 2022. That’s one death every 11 minutes.
September is National Suicide Prevention Month. A time to remember the lives lost to suicide, acknowledge the millions more who have experienced suicidal thoughts, and the many individuals, families and communities that have been impacted by suicide. Something we can do to help is educate ourselves and others about suicide prevention:
• Learn the warning signs and risk factors for suicide and how to support someone considering suicide: https://www.samhsa.gov/mental-health/suicide
• Visit the Suicide Prevention Resource Center: https://sprc.org/ Each year, the SPRC creates a resource full of ways to get involved in Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. https://sprc.org/online-library/suicide-prevention-month-ideas-for-action/
• Read and share the federal action plan: https://www.hhs.gov/programs/prevention-and-wellness/mental-health-substance-abuse/national-strategy-suicide-prevention/index.html
• Familiarize yourself with the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline which provides free, confidential, 24/7 support by phone (call or text 988 from anywhere in the U.S.) and online chat: https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/988
• Crisis Text Line provides free, confidential, 24/7 support by text. Text HOME to 741741 from anywhere in the U.S.: https://www.crisistextline.org/
• Learn about Careline Alaska: https://carelinealaska.com/contact-us/ It offers free, immediate, and confidential help and is available around the clock.
• To learn how to get support for mental health, drug, and alcohol issues, visit FindSupport.gov.
• To locate treatment facilities or providers, visit FindTreatment.gov or call SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 800-662-HELP (4357).
Reina Hasting is the program manager of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed), administered by the University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service in cooperation with the USDA. Contact her at rhhasting@alaska.edu or 907-474-2437.
